The Life and Death of Estella Stroud
by lacewing33
Summary: This is the story of Estella Stroud and her twin sister, Ariella. Daughters of a long line of pure-blood wizards, each will face different challenges at Hogwarts and after, as the Wizarding World prepares for the First War against the Dark Lord. Estella especially will need to come to terms with her role and that of her friends and sister. (Ellie is the main OC)
1. Chapter 1

Hey all!

This is my very first attempt at a Harry Potter story. This chapter is sort of a prologue. I want to see if it is received well to determine whether or not I'll continue with Ellie's story. Feedback is appreciated, but be nice! I am far from a professional writer. That being said, I hope you enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the characters you may recognize from Harry Potter. They are the sole property of J. K. Rowling. I only own Ellie and Ari...who I would gladly trade for Sirius...**

"Ellie, you're going to get us into trouble!"

"Shhhh! We'll get in trouble for sure if you keep that up!"

"But I—" Ellie threw a hand over her twins mouth. After all her efforts, she was not going to let Ari's uncertainty foil her plan. There was a limited window for success and she was going to continue on with or without Ari's help.

"Shut up and follow me" Ellie whispered.

The Stroud twins were like any other children. With the exception that they were identical…and witches…and from a prominent Pureblood family. In fact, it could probably be said that there were not many children like Ariella and Estella Stroud. Despite their uniqueness, the twins did behave just as any other ten year olds would. This would explain why Ellie, the eldest by seven minutes, was leading an expedition into the kitchens in the middle of the night. You see, Mrs. Abbott, the Stroud's rather old and rather plump cook, only made lemon tarts once a month. Usually, Ellie and Ari were each given one small square of the dessert, the taste of which would have to last them until the next month. Well, the twins had come to the mutual decision that this would no longer suffice.

Opening the kitchen door as quietly as she could, Ellie gestured her sister to go in ahead of her.

"Do you see them?" she whispered.

Ari scanned the room until her eyes landed on the serving tray next to the sink. Letting out a small gasp, she turned her head to her sister with wide eyes and nodded as a grin overtook her face. Letting loose a smile of her own, Ellie pushed passed her twin and made her way to the tray. Not believing their luck, she peeled back the wrappings and took two squares, one for each her and Ari. Handing one to her sister, Ellie opened her mouth to take the first of many bites of lemon tart.

At least, that was her plan until the kitchen lights came on.

"Estella! Ariella! What in Merlin's name do you think you are doing?" Squealing, Ellie lost her grip on the tart and watched as it fell to the floor. Mournfully, she looked in to the rather angry eyes of her mother.

Mrs. Stroud could, quite frankly, be described as a beautiful woman. Her hair was long and blonde with small waves framing her face. Crystal blue eyes, despite that they never seemed to soften, were said to be her greatest feature. Petite and pale, Lorrella Stroud was the epitome of a Pureblood house wife. This extended to the disciplinary actions she chose in inflict on her children. Knowing this, Ellie took a step towards her enraged mother.

"It was my idea, Mother. I just wanted to have a lemon tart. Ari didn't want to come, but I made her."

Grabbing each of the girls by an arm, Mrs. Stroud pulled them from the kitchen. Ellie cast one last longing look towards the fallen lemon tart before following complying her ranting mother's tugging.

"Do not presume that you can keep your sister from punishment, Estella! She is just as guilty as you. Maybe one day she will stop agreeing to your harebrained plans." Looking to Ari, who just shrugged her shoulders, Ellie doubted very much that would ever happen. Dragging the girls into their room, their mother deposited each girl onto her own bed.

"I cannot wait until the two of you are away from here and at Hogwarts. Maybe then I shall finally have a moment's peace! Stay here while I get your father. He'll decide what your punishment will be." Mrs. Stroud left the room, slamming and locking the door behind her.

Ellie looked to her sister, whose expression mimicked the thought in her own mind,

_Hogwarts cannot come soon enough_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It is the sole property of J.K. Rowling...unfortunately. **Enjoy!

Year 1: The Beginning

_September 1, 1971_

"Now remember, you will only write home once every two weeks. If there is an emergency you will ask your Head of House to write a letter for you. Any grade under _Exceeds Expectations _will be met with punishment upon your return home. While at Hogwarts you are expected to make the Stroud family proud" Mrs. Stroud turned to her eldest daughter. "Estella, you will under no circumstance embarrass your father and me. There will be no tricks or sneaking around. You will behave and aspire to be like your sister. Am I understood?"

"Yes, mother." Ellie found it very difficult to refrain from rolling her eyes.

"Good. I await your letters confirming your acceptance into Slytherin. Until Christmas." With these parting words, the twins were left standing in front of platform 9 ¾.

"Well, that was encouraging," Ellie looked to her sister, "Now what?"

"I'm not sure," Ari's expression was troubled, and Ellie had no problem determining the cause of her twin's distress. Placing a hand on her sister's shoulder, she attempted to reassure her.

"You're going to be great, Ari. You already know as much as a third year. You'll have no trouble making friends, and I'll be sure to not get us caught this time". Ariella laughed at her sister's attempt to encourage her.

"If you say so, Ellie. I-,"

"Oh, um, hello!" a voice called out. The twins turned to see a red-headed girl about their own age standing before them. The girl was striking, in a unique sort of way. Her red hair was unlike anything Ellie had ever seen, and her green eyes stood out in a way that Ellie was slightly envious of. Her own eyes were an odd mixture of blue and green, while the newcomer's were the purest green she'd ever seen. The girl was dressed oddly. Ellie's forehead furrowed as she tried to think of a shop in Diagon Alley that sold what appeared to be rough blue pants, a knitted-sweater, and the oddest shoes…_Oh. _

"Hi!" Ellie greeted the muggle-born witch, "I'm Estella Stroud and this is my sister Ariella. You can call us Ellie and Ari." She took note of the girl's trunks and caged barn owl, "Are you headed to Hogwarts?"

The red-head's eyes lit up at the mention of Hogwarts. "Yes! Only, I'm not too sure how to get to the train. I'm Lily by the way, Lily Evans."

"It's good to meet you Lily," Ari spoke up, "Unfortunately, our mother has just left, and we aren't too sure how to get to the train either."

"That's alright! I'm supposed to be meeting a friend here anyway. Oh look, he's just arrived!"

Ellie turned to face the new newcomer. Her eyes fell on the strangest looking boy she'd ever seen. He was just as striking as Lily, but in the opposite and most unfortunate sense of the word. His lank black hair hung past his ears. His eyes were nearly black and stood out in eerie contrast to his too-pale face. The boy was frightening, and the look he was giving the twins did nothing to soften Ellie's first impression of him.

"Ellie, Ari. This is Severus Snape. He's a very dear friend of mine. Sev, these are the Stroud twins. We're trying to figure out how to get to the train."

"Two pureblood witches can't manage to figure out how to get to a train? Not very intelligent in my opinion…" Snape sneered. Ellie found herself returning the look.

"Well, this is our first year, you see. We haven't done it before." Ari's soft spoken voice came from behind her sister.

"In any case," Snape drolled, "_I_ know how to get to on. Follow me Lily." The boy gathered his belongings and walked right through the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10.

"Well, that answers that," Ellie said with a sigh, "Lily, go before me and keep up with him. Ari, follow me."

Lily took a deep breath before stepping through the wall after Snape. Seeing it done a second time, Ellie felt more comfortable going through herself. Staring at the wall, she gathered her nerve and made several determined steps towards it, closing her eyes as she stepped through.

The deafening sound of the train's whistle greeted Ellie on the other side. She opened her eyes to see Lily and a very aggravated Snape waiting for her. Turning, she smiled at Ari who had just arrived.

"That wasn't bad at all!" Ari exclaimed, grinning. Ellie smiled back at her sister. The two then began making their way over to Lily and Snape.

"Lily," Ellie heard Snape say, "We really should be finding our seats now. _Alone_." He emphasized, glaring at the approaching twins.

"I'd like us to sit with them, Sev." Lily said. Ellie snuck a smug look at Snape who was beginning to look royally ticked off.

"_Fine._"

Ellie, one. Snape, zero.

The four children found an empty compartment after several minutes of searching. They settled into the seats, Lily and Snape on one side, Ari and Ellie facing them. There were several seconds of awkward silence before Lily spoke up.

"So, Sev said you're purebloods. What does that mean?"

"It means," Snape interjected, "that their family is one of the oldest and wealthiest in the Wizarding community. Papa Stroud has his hands all over the Ministry for Magic from what I've read. Most purebloods don't take too kindly to muggle-borns like yourself Lily. They believe them to be inferior." Snape finished.

Ellie was really getting tired of him.

"Oh," Lily muttered dejectedly, "does that mean that you don't want to be my—"

Lily was cut off as the compartment door was thrown open.

A dark haired boy appeared in the doorway. He looked to be a first-year like them. Round glasses sat on his nose and his dark brown hair stuck out in all directions. He glanced around at them before his eyes settled on Lily. A smirk appeared on his lips as he quickly ran a hand through his hair.

"Hello," he said, stepping into their compartment and holding out a hand to Lily, "I'm James Potter."

"Lily Evans" she responded, shaking his hand, "this is Severus Snape and Estella and Ariella Stroud. Pleased to meet you."

"Same," Potter said, returning to the doorframe. Leaning back out into the aisle he shouted, "Oi! Sirius! Over here!"

_Oh, Merlin please no. Not Sirius._

Ellie's plea fell on deaf ears as Sirius Black appeared next to Potter. Ari lets out a gasp and moved closer to Ellie.

The twins had heard of the Potters and the Blacks. Both were old pureblood families like the Stroud's. The Potters, however, were known in Ellie's family and throughout the supremacist pureblood community as blood-traitors, same as the Weasley's. The Black family was cut from a different cloth entirely. Orion and Walburga Black were two of the most frightening people Ellie and Ari had even had the displeasure of meeting. In fact, the entire family was known for its cold heartedness, wealth, and cruelty.

Ellie had met Sirius the one and only time she had attended the annual Black New Year's party. Ari and Ellie had been exploring the manor's upstairs while their mother and father socialized with the other families. After looking into several rooms, they approached the last door at the end of a rather long and dark hallway. As she'd done with all the other doors, Ellie turned the knob and stepped inside.

The room was fairly small. A miniature looking bed sat against the wall with a desk opposite it. The wall paper was faded and peeling off. Ellie signed unhappily at the lack of excitement and turned back towards the door.

Standing beside the open door was a figure dressed all in black. A black hood covered its face. Ellie let out a gasp.

"Ellie?" Ari called from the hallway, "What is it?"

Without responding to her sister, she took a step closer to the figure. At her movement its hands came up and pulled the hood from its face.

Black eyes and a dark red face stared back at Ellie. White teeth showed through the darkness as the creature lunged towards her.

Screaming, Ellie ran past it and out the door. She grabbed her sister's hand and ran down the hallway. The two had managed to make it back down stairs before Ellie ran into and knocked over a rather scary house elf carrying a tray of china. Expensive china. Plates flew everywhere and shattered as they hit the floor.

Ellie looked up from the ground and into the very angry faces of her mother and Mistress Black. That was the last time the Stroud children had been invited to the New Years party.

Ellie had later been told that the creature in the bedroom was none other than Sirius, the Black's eldest child. He had heard her and Ari exploring upstairs and it was his room at the end of the hallway. Ellie immediately decided that she hated the boy. After all, it was his fault she's been punished after the incident.

So, when none other than Sirius Black appeared smirking next to James Potter, Ellie found herself slightly agitated.

"What are _you_ doing here Black?" she said.

Grinning, he shook his wavy hair from his eyes and addressed her.

"How'd you manage to get into Hogwarts, Stroud? Mommy and daddy have to bribe the Headmaster?"

"That's not very nice," said Lily. She frowned and turned to James, "This compartment is full. Sorry, you'll have to find somewhere else to sit."

"Oh come on," James exclaimed, "You want to sit with the _Stroud_ twins and this oily git over us?"

Ellie was fairly sure Lily was about to explode. Her face turned red as she shot back at James.

"I'd prefer to sit with them over the two of you any day. Now LEAVE!"

"Suite yourself. Come on Sirius. Let's go find more pleasant company." The boys left, closing the door behind them.

"I hope I'm not sorted into the same house as them" Lily said, exasperatedly.

"You and me both, Lils", said Ellie, "You and me both."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I need some reviews please! Or follows...something! I'm going to post another few chapters and see what happens. Please review! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I only own Estella and Ariella. Yada yada yada. **

Year 1: The Beginning

The rest of the journey to Hogwarts was uneventful. Ellie and Ari reassured Lily that just because they were purebloods did not mean that they couldn't be friends with her. Snape spent the reminder of the ride with his nose stuck in a book. Occasionally he would whisper something to Lily and shoot and glare at Ellie, but so long as he didn't talk to her she didn't mind.

They arrived at Hogwarts just after dark. Ellie, Ari, Lily, and Snape shared a boat up to the castle. During the ride, each of the children stared in awe at the place that would be their home for the next year. Lily, excited for a life in this new world; Snape, happy to be able to call someplace besides Spinners End home; Ari, anxious for a chance to prove herself to her parents; and Ellie, hoping that Hogwarts would be the one place she'd fit in.

They followed an older witch called Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall. Above them, candles were suspended in mid-air and the ceiling was made of stars. The second through seventh year students looked on as the first years were led towards an old, torn hat setting on a stool.

McGonagall spoke, "When I call your name you will come up and sit on this stool. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your Houses. Let us begin."

Excitement shot through the group of children. Those with strong intellect and wit hoped to be placed in Ravenclaw. Those who valued fairness and hard work sought to be placed in Hufflepuff. Gryffindor was the home of those who were brave and loyal. And Slytherin…Slytherin was the place for the cunning and ambitious.

Ellie had no idea which House she belonged to. Her brain told her Slytherin. After all, it was the home of many (if not all) Strouds' during their time at Hogwarts. It was the House her parents expected her to be placed in. But her heart…Ellie wasn't sure what it wanted, but it certainly wasn't Slytherin. _  
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Potter and Black were sorted into Gryffindor; the former was predictable, but the latter was surprising. _Who's ever heard of a Black in Gryffindor?_

"Slytherin!"

Ellie was drawn from her thoughts as she looked up to see Snape make his way over to the green clad table. _He'll fit right in with that lot. Hopefully_-

"Lily Evans" The next name was called out, interrupting Ellie's thoughts yet again. She watched the red-head approach the hat. Within moments, it was placed on her head and an emphasized "Gryffindor!" echoed throughout the Great Hall. Lily hoped off the stool and made her way to join the growing group of Gryffindor first years. _Gryffindor wouldn't be so bad. Despite those two awful boys…I mean, Lily seems nice enough, and Snape was placed in Slytherin…that's a plus. Maybe…_

"Estella Stroud"

Ellie's eyes shot up to meet those of her sister's. Ari took her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. After returning the gesture, Ellie let go and made her to way to the Sorting Hat. Every step felt like a lifetime, but sooner than she'd have liked, Ellie found herself on the stool with the hat on her head.

_Oooooh what have we here? A young pureblood! Mommy and Daddy want Slytherin I'm sure, but that might not be the house for you. You are stubborn…yes…prideful…but loyal. You're going to have a long road ahead of you, girl. Best to be prepared…_

"Gryffindor!" Ellie let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Hopping of the stool she made her way over to her new house's table and sat beside a very excited Lily.

"I'm so excited! We can be roommates! Do you think Ariella will get Gryffindor too?" Ellie's newfound happiness quickly left her. No, Ariella would not be placed in Gryffindor. With their luck, she'd go to—

"Slytherin!"

Ellie was jerked out of her thoughts for the third time. She tried to find the student whose house had just been announced. Her eyes widened when she was saw her sister making her way over to the Slytherin table. She watched as Ari took a seat next to the Snape boy and was immediately angered when he shot her sister a disgusted look and moved away from her. Ari looked up and met her sister's stare. Tears welled up in her eyes that were soon present in Ellie's as well.

"Oh, Ellie, I'm so sorry." Lily put a hand on her arm, drawing her attention away from Ari. "It's the same with Severus and I—"

"Are you and _Severus_ identical twin sisters who have never in their entire lives spent a day apart and are now being forced to not only sleep in separate dormitories, but to also support a house rivalry that dates back to the Hogwarts founders?"

"Well, no, I just—"

"So who's the black sleep? You or sissy?" A third voice interrupted the girl's conversation.

"Oh greeeeat. It's _you _two." Lily bemoaned. Ellie's thoughts echoed the other girl's sentiment upon realizing that Sirius Black was the one who had asked the question. His shadow, James, was sitting next to him.

"None of your business, _Black_. Now bugger off," After essentially losing her sister, Ellie was in no mood to deal with Sirius's attitude or James's for that matter. Their encounter on the train made it clear to Ellie that James Potter and Sirius Black were not going to make her time at Hogwarts easy.

"Why don't the two of you sit next to someone who wants to put up with you?" Lily told the boys.

"Aw, Lily-flower, don't be like that," Potter whined. Sirius laughed at his new best friend's dramatics.

While Lily held off their new housemates, Ellie looked over to her sister. Ari looked slightly less miserable. Though Snape was still ignoring her, an older girl seemed to be taking her sister under her wing. In fact, the girl looked slightly familiar. Ellie let out a groan when she realized that Ari's new friend was none other than Narcissa Black.

_Bugger_. Ellie thought. _That's not exactly who I'd have preferred she become friends with_. Ellie shook her head. _It seems like the whole Black family just won't leave us Stroud girls alone_.

Ellie's attention was drawn from her sister as the Headmaster stood to make his start of year speech. Dumbledore was an old and kind looking wizard. There was something about him that had Ellie taking to him instantly. The children sat through his announcements about the dark forest and forbidden Zonko's products. Finally, he concluded and food appeared in front of the students.

"Oh my goodness," Lily exclaimed, "I've never seen so much food before! Where does it all come from?"

"Pretty sure there's elves that work a kitchen somewhere," Black replied with a mouthful of mashed potatoes, "I wonder where it is…"

"You and me both, mate," said Potter. "Oi, Remus. Any mention in those books of yours about where the kitchen is?"

Ellie turned her attention to the boy Potter was addressing. He had hair much lighter that Sirius and James. His face looked pale and tired, almost sickly. Shabby clothes hung loosely from his body. She found herself concerned for him and wondered what a boy like this was doing hanging out with two gits like Potter and Black.

"Um, no," Remus replied, "I haven't come across anything about the kitchen."

"We'll just have to go looking for it ourselves then," Potter said with a grin. At the declaration, the three boys stuck their heads together to discuss exploration plans. To her horror, Ellie found herself wanting to listen in.

"Can you believe that?" Lily shook her head at the group of boys. "They're going to be trouble. Mark my words. Can you imagine? Sneaking about the castle in search of hidden rooms?"

Ellie gave her new friend a weak smile. _That's exactly what I'm imagining. It would be so much fun!_ Her mother's warning at the train station came to mind. No, it was bad enough the Ellie was placed in Gryffindor. She could already imagine the punishment awaiting her at home. It would be best if Ellie just focused on her studies and staying out of trouble. Like Ari.

After dinner was finished the Prefects led the first years to their respective common rooms. The Gryffindor girls were shown up to their dormitories. Lily and Ellie were indeed roommates along with a girl named Mary McDonald and another named Lucille Johnson. Mary seemed quite and friendly, she reminded Ellie of her sister. Lucille, or Lucy as she quite literally demanded to be called, was far more outgoing and opinionated, but was no less friendly. Ellie was very much looking forward to spending the next seven years with these girls.

As they prepared for bed, Ellie picked up a picture of her and Ari as young children. In the picture, the girls were seven years old and standing with their arms around each other. Placing it on her bedside table, Ellie fought back tears. This was the first night in all of their eleven years that she and her twin were sleeping in separate rooms. Lily sat next to Ellie on the bed and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"It'll be alright, Ellie. You'll see."

Forcing a smile, Ellie laid her head on Lily's shoulder. For some reason, she could not shake the feeling that her new friend was very, very wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Ok, folks, here's the deal. The first three chapters were pretty slow. I thought it would be a good idea to not hurry over the character introductions. From here on out things will be somewhat fast paced. This story is meant to go from Ellie's first year to the Final Battle, and at the rate I was going that would've been a ridiculous number of chapters.

Please let me know if you catch any errors. I try and edit, but it all runs together after a while. This chapter will take us through Ellie and Ari's first year. So, let's get to it! And please review!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of J.K. Rowling's characters (much to my chagrin).**

Year 1: The Beginning

Ari missed her sister terribly. The twins had been at Hogwarts for a little over three months now, and in that time they had only seen one another on a handful of occasions. Ari spent most of her time in the library doing homework and reading. In the first couple of weeks she had tried to socialize at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall and in the Slytherin Common room, but she soon realized that quiet, studious first years were not well liked in her new House. Severus Snape, who was best friends with her sister's friend Lily Evans, was not inclined to come to her defense either. When not with Lily, her fellow Slytherin spent most of his time with the older students, namely Malfoy, Avery, Mulciber and other boys in that particular group.

Snape also spent a lot of his time avoiding James Potter and Sirius Black. The Gryffindor duo had a bad habit of pranking him relentlessly. On the rare occasion that Ari did see her sister, it was usually right after an altercation between the three boys. Ellie would appear alongside Lily, catching up with Ari (who had many classes with Severus and was often found walking behind him) whilst keeping an ear glued to the conversation. Lily's "volume" made that relatively easy to do.

One such meeting happened just a week ago.

Ari was following Severus from Potions to Defense when James stepped in front of him and knocked his books to the ground.

"Watch where you're going, _Snivellus_," the boy sneered. Sirius looked on with a similar expression on his face. As Severus knelt to pick up his books, James took another step towards him.

"Stop right there, Potter!" Lily shouted from down the corridor. Upon her approach, Ari took a step back from the group and mentally prepared for yet another confrontation. A confrontation during which Lily would yell at James, James would flirt with Lily, Severus would insult Sirius and James, Ellie (who had arrived with Lily) would casually discuss homework with Ari, and Sirius would laugh at everyone. Eventually, a professor would tell everyone to go about their business and the children would disperse until the next time.

Things finally got back to normal over the Christmas holidays. The twins spent the entire train ride home catching up and swapping stories. They once again sat with Lily and Severus, the latter of whom appeared more than a little resentful of this fact.

A rather angry looking Mrs. Stroud welcomed the girls off the train. Ari was quizzed on her studies and teachers while Ellie was all but ignored.

Later that night, the twins lay in bed talking to one another. More specifically, Ellie was talking about Lily and how much she hated Black and Potter while Ari listened. This continued for several minutes, until Ari sat up in bed and flicked on the light to address her sister.

"Ellie, have you been avoiding me?"

"What?" her sister turned to her, appalled, "No, of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Well, it's just...You're always with Lily, and I thought that, maybe..." Ari trailed off.

"That I'd replaced you?"

"No! Well, yes...sort of," Ari continued, "I just miss you is all. We never see each other anymore except during class and in the hallways."

"You're the one who stays in the library all the time, Ari. I don't ever even see you at meals." Ellie chided.

"I know, I know. Can we just...try a little harder? To spend time together I mean."

Sighing, Ellie got out of bed at joined Ari in hers. Sitting in front of her sister, she took Ari's hands in her own.

"I promise you," she said, "that we will see each other more. It'll be difficult what with us being in different Houses and all, but we'll make it work."

"I hate that I was placed in Slytherin and not Gryffindor. No one talks to me expect Narcissa, and she's a fifth year so that's not often," Ari complained.

"Speaking of Narcissa, Ari, you really should stay away from her. You know she's practically engaged to that horrid Malfoy boy. They're both nothing but trouble."

"Oh, but she's so sweet to me, Ellie. At least, she is so long as Bella isn't-"

"Bella? You call her Bella?" Ellie shouted incredulously.

Shying away from her sister, Ari stammered, "N-no. Not really. That's just what all the others call her and its sort of stuck in my head."

"Well _un_-stick it!"

"A-alright..."

"Promise me, Ari! Promise me that you'll stay away from them! It's bad enough that Snape follows them around like a lost puppy. I have to hear about that often enough from Lily. I don't need my own sister getting mixed up with that lot, too."

"I promise."

"Good," Ellie got up and climbed into her own bed. She lay down and pulled the covers to her chin. Ari reached over and put out the light before settling into her own sheets. The sisters lay quietly in the dark for a while before Ellie spoke.

"Hey, Ari?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, and I didn't mean to shout at you."

"I know Ellie. I love you too"

The silence continued for a while longer. Ari thought her sister had fallen asleep until Ellie spoke up again.

"Hey, Ari?"

"Yes, Ellie."

"Do you think there are any lemon tarts in the kitchen?" Chuckling, Ari closed her eyes and went to sleep.

The rest of the holidays passed relatively quickly. Ari read and did her school work while Ellie teased the house elf and aggravated their parents. When the time came to return to Hogwarts the two girls practically ran back to the train.

True to her word, Ellie made an honest effort to spend more time with her sister at school. Ari sat with Ellie and the other Gryffindors during meals and Ellie, in turn, joined Ari in the library during breaks. Surprisingly, the library wasn't as horrendous as she'd thought it would be. Her fellow Gryffindor, Remus Lupin, sat with them whenever he needed a break from Potter and Black. Ari and Ellie both enjoyed the boy's company. He was quiet, but when he did speak it was often to correct one of the twin's assignments or to help Ellie study. He was certainly intelligent and eventually, with his and Ari's (and occasionally Lily's) help, Elli's grades began to improve.

Sooner than they'd have liked, it was time for the students return go home for the summer. Ellie and Ari especially were not happy at the prospect of going back to Stroud Manor.

"You will write won't you?" Lily asked Ellie as they stepped off of the Hogwarts Express and into the waiting crowd of parents. Snape had run ahead to collect his and Lily's things.

"I'll try. I've told you how my parents are. If they find out I'm friends with a Muggleborn…"

"Oh come on Ellie, it can't possibly be that bad," Lily complained.

"Trust me, Lils, it's—"

"_Ellie_!" Ari whispered frantically from her position behind her sister.

"What, Ari?" Ellie asked exasperatedly as she turned around. Ellie came face to face with the very reason Ari had interrupted her and Lily, "Oh…hello, Mother."

Lorella Stroud greeted her eldest daughter with a blank state. Her blue eyes flicked from Ellie to Lily. "Who is your friend, Estella," she asked while directing her glaze towards Lily who suddenly found the ground very interesting.

"Mother, this is Lily Evans. Lily, this is my—"

"What a peculiar name. 'Evans'. Tell me, Lily dear, what do your parents do?"

"Oh, um, w-well…they aren't…um…," Lily faltered.

"_I knew it!_" Mrs. Stroud hissed. She grabbed Lily's arm and pulled the girl towards her. Bending down, Ellie's mother put her lips to Lily's ear and whispered vehemently, "Listen to me you filthy mudblood. You will stay _far_ away from my daughters. People like you aren't worth the dirt they walk on." Mrs. Stroud gave the red head a hard look before standing and straightening her robes.

Ellie and Ari watched with wide eyes as their mother stepped away from a very pale and watery eyed Lily. Gathering her nerve, Ellie took a step towards the woman.

"Mother! What did you-?"

Mrs. Stroud's hand shot out and mimicked the hold she just had on Lily's arm.

"You will watch your tone with me, girl," her mother then took a calming breath, "Now, go with your sister and collect your things. I will wait for you here. Understood?"

Ellie nodded her head solemnly. Looking past her mother, she saw Lily still standing a few feet away. Catching the other girl's eyes, she mouthed, "I'm sorry" and turned to make her way towards her sister. When Ellie reached her, Ari took her hand and the two made their way over to the unclaimed bags.

_Merlin_, Ellie thought, _I miss Hogwarts already_.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay, this chapter got a bit long. I'm going to upload one half of it first. There's not a smooth transition or anything so it'll probably feel awkward, but I'll either upload the next half later tonight or sometime tomorrow. I just couldn't seem to find a good place to stop. Anyway, enjoy!

_(Italics indicate events that occurred earlier in the year)_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter….**

Year Five: Part 1

"Merlin, Lils! Are you trying to scalp me?"

Ellie winced in pain for the third time when she felt Lily rake the brush through her hair once more. You'd think after four years of this torture she'd be used to it by now.

"I think you take pleasure in this," she mumbled. Mary laughed from her position on Ellie's bed.

Ellie's blonde hair, like her sister's, had become a shade darker as they got older. Only now, Ari maintained hers at shoulder length while Ellie's hung near her lower back, hence the need to have Lily brush it from time to time.

Lily had held no hard feelings towards Ellie after her run-in with Mrs. Stroud at the end of first year. Ellie had, after all, warned her that her mother wouldn't be accepting of their friendship. The only thing to change was that every year, Lily made sure to say her goodbyes to the twins on the train, well before any member of their family showed up. So far, there hadn't been another confrontation.

Ellie and Ari had remained close until the middle of the year. They had passed the summer gossiping about their fellow students, writing letters to friends, and studying for the next year. Every now and then their parents would force them out of the house to attend some horrid social gathering, during which the girls would wander off by themselves to explore. But, for whatever reason, that closeness had ended about five months into their fifth year. At first, Ari had stopped sitting with Ellie and Lily at meals. Later, she began to make excuses to miss their library sessions. It wasn't until just two weeks ago, nearly three months since she'd last spoken to her twin, that Ellie found out why.

* * *

><p><em> "What in Merlin's name are you thinking, Ari! Evan Rosier? Of all the boys you could choose to have a fling with you choose <strong>Evan Rosier<strong>?" _Ellie had finally caught up to Ari after their DADA class. Needless to say, she had a few choice words for her sister after overhearing another Slytherin in the class ask her about her relationship with the older boy. __

_"It's not a "fling" Ellie! We actually happen to like each other. Not all Slytherins are as terrible as you make them out to be!"_

_"Make them out to be? It's how they ARE! The whole lot of them are a bunch of sneaky, cunning, manipulative—"_

_"Am I all of those things?" the dejected tone in Ari's voice made Ellie pause._

_"Well…no. But you're my sister. You're different." _

_"I'm still a Slytherin though aren't I? And to be fair, if those are the qualities of Slytherin house, I daresay those two terrible boys in Gryffindor are in need of a re-sorting."_

_"It's just harmless pranking, Ariella. I've done the same since I was a child. You've helped!"_

_"Tripping Severus? Pushing him down stairs? That's what you call harmless? It's outright cruel, Ellie! Even most Slytherins wouldn't do something like that." _

_"Right, they'd just torture him instead," Ellie shot back at her sister._

_"You are the most ignorant, closed minded person I have ever met. **It is torture!** You're no better than they are, Ellie!" Her sister's words felt like a punch to the stomach. _

_Shaking her head, Ellie tried to brush off her sister's words, "Listen to me, Ari. You need to stop seeing Rosier. He's_**_evil_**_!"_

_"Stop" Ari held up a hand, "Just…just stop. I'm not a little girl anymore. I can make my own decisions."_

_Ellie nodded in agreement, "Well, I hope you know that this 'decision' is not one that I'll be supporting. Until you choose to end this...thing you've got going with Rosier, stay away from me. I won't watch my own sister become a Deatheater." With that, Ari was left standing in the corridor, looking at Ellie's back as her sister walked away from her._

* * *

><p>Since their argument, Ellie and Ari had not spoken to one another. Even when they passed in the corridors, they put their heads down and kept walking. The whole situation upset Ellie greatly. She'd had such a close relationship with her twin. The girls were nearly inseparable before coming to Hogwarts. But now, Ari was spending more and more time with the other Slytherins, Narcissa and Rosier far as she knew, Ari hadn't ended her relationship with the boy like she'd expected her to. The Slytherin couple was still together. In fact, Ellie had heard they'd been caught snogging in a broom closet a few days ago.<p>

After her and her sister's falling out, Ellie had grown a lot closer to Lily. The two girls were practically joined at the hip now. They had many of the same classes and spent the majority of their free time studying for OWLs with Mary and Remus. It was an easy, near perfect friendship.

Elli was drawn out of her thoughts by another sharp tug at her scalp.

"Damn it to hell, Lily!" Ellie exclaimed angrily, snatching the brush from her friend's hand as Mary laughed.

"You're such a little girl," Lily scolded, "It's nearly time to go anyway. Don't want to be late!"

It was almost time for the fifth years Defense against the Dark Arts OWL. Lily and Remus had been helping her study for weeks, but just the thought of the examination made Ellie's stomach twist. _Ugh, I'm going to be sick._

Mary put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, "You're going to do fine, but really, we need to go or we'll all fail for tardiness."

Agreeing, the two girls made their way to the exam room.

* * *

><p><em>Merlin, I'm so glad that's over. <em>Ellie believed she'd done well-enough on her Defense OWL. She certainly hadn't failed it. _At least I got the werewolf question right_, she smirked at her own attempt at humor. Poor Remus didn't know that Lily and Ellie knew his secret, but honestly, any fool with a brain could have put the clues together. It also didn't help that his friends walked around calling him "Mooney" all the time. _Idiots_.

Ellie and Mary were in the girls' dormitory studying for their next exam. Lily was supposed to have joined them, but Ellie had the sinking suspicion that her friend had gone down to the lake to enjoy the outdoors for a bit. _Blast it! She was supposed to have come straight here!_

"Are you sure that's the spell? I thought for sure the answer was—," Mary's question was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open. Ellie's eyes widened as a very distraught Lily entered the room and threw herself onto her bed, sobbing.

Mary and Ellie exchanged startled looks. Getting up from Mary's bed, Ellie went over to Lily's and sat next to the hysterical girl.

"What happened, Lils," Ellie asked while pushing her friend's red hair away from her tear-streaked face.

"H-he called me a-a mudblood!"

"What!" Ellie and Mary shouted simultaneously.

"Who called you that, Lily?" Mary asked as she joined the two girls on the bed.

Ignoring Mary's question, Lily continued, "Why would he say that to me, Ellie? After all these years? He was my best friend! Why would he treat me like that?" Lily returned her head to the pillow she was clutching in front of her and resumed crying.

"You aren't talking about Snape…are you?" Ellie asked hesitantly.

Lily cried harder in response.

"Oh honey," Ellie said, placing a hand on Lily's shoulder, "I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"He did! Black and that toerag Potter were picking on him again. I tried to make them stop, but Severus called me a 'filthy little m-mudblood' and told me to go a-away!"

Ellie fumed at the fact that Snape managed had hurt Lily so badly. She'd never seen her friend so upset. Her hysterics made Ellie want to march right over to the Slytherin Common Room and give Snivellus a piece of her mind. However, she knew how important their friendship was to Lily_. I should get an award for this._

"Lily, love, I know he didn't mean what he said. Snape was embarrassed and angry. He'll be here any minute to apologize. I'm sure of—"

"No! I want nothing to do with him anymore. You've told me over and over again that he's mixed with the wrong crowd. I've noticed it too, but I'd hoped…I'd hoped I was wrong. I should have listened to you earlier, Ellie. I just didn't think he had it in him to treat me this way." She tucked her head into the pillow again and resumed crying.

The other girls sat quietly on Lily's bed trying to comfort their friend. Mary held one of Lily's hands in hers and Ellie ran a hand over Lily's hair. For the first time in a long time, neither one could think of anything to say.

* * *

><p>Sure enough, later that night Mary walked into the Common Room and told Lily that Snape was outside begging her to come talk to him.<p>

"I have nothing to say to him" Lily said, stubbornly.

"It might do you some good, Lils" Ellie said looking up from her position on the floor.

"I don't want to talk to him," Lily replied insistently.

"I know you don't, but it might be the best thing. Closure and all that nonsense."

"…Fine. I'll be right back." The red head stood up and made her way to the Fat Lady.

Mary had journeyed upstairs and Lily had been gone for a couple of minutes when Ellie decided to return her attention to her Transfiguration notes. Before she could begin studying she was startled by the sound of a throat clearing above her. Looking up, the grim face of James Potter greeted her.

"What do you want?" Ellie asked accusingly, eyes narrowing.

"I-uh," James cleared his throat again, "I heard Lily was pretty upset about what happened earlier by the lake."

"Gee, ya think? Merlin James, they've been best friends for over five years! You couldn't have just kept up with the usual pranks? You pushed him too far!"

"How was I supposed to know he'd freak out like that? And _you_ told me Lily wasn't going to be around!"

"She wasn't supposed to be! I thought she'd go straight back to the Common Room after the exam. I'd asked her to meet Mary and me here." Ellie retorted defensively.

"Well obviously she didn't," James knelt to the floor and sat beside Ellie.

"Yes, Potter, obviously she didn't," Ellie sighed, "I guess I can't really fault you. The end result was better than anticipated I suppose. Minus the Lily being distraught part of course, but she'll come around eventually. At least Snivellus is out of the picture," Ellie mused.

"You're insane. You know that right?" James replied as he scanned over Ellie's Transfiguration notes.

It hadn't been until their fourth year that Ellie began treating James and Black with anything besides unfriendliness. To be fair, they weren't exactly saints to her either. After their meeting on the train in first year, the boy's had insulted and pranked Ellie whenever they could. For a time, they almost bullied her as much as Snape. The only difference was the Ellie, unlike poor Snivellus, knew exactly how to get back at them. She'd finally snapped at the end of their fourth year.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here's the second part of year 5! Enjoy and review, please :)

_(Italics indicate past events)_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

_"Shhh! Be quiet Lily!"_

_"You're going to get me into trouble!"_

_"Lily, dear, I've been hearing that since I was old enough to walk. And it's only been true…about seventy-five percent of the time," Ellie snickered at the horrified look that appeared on her friend's face._

_"Look," she continued, "just be look out and stall anyone who tries to come up," Ellie hurried up the stairs to the boys' dormitory before Lily could change her mind. _

_Earlier that day, Potter and Black had managed to sneak a spider into Ellie's schoolbag. Ellie didn't really mind the creature, but she wasn't thrilled when it was made to crawl in her hair. She had stood up, screaming, in the middle of Transfiguration. Needless to say, Professor McGonagall did not find the incident amusing and had given Ellie detention for disrupting class._

_It was at that point that Ellie decided her four year pranking hiatus needed to end. Parent's instructions be damned. _

_So, now she was making her way to the fourth-year boys' dormitory in order to issue a little payback. Ellie entered the room and made her way over to what she assumed was Black's belongings. Opening her bag, she pulled out the bugs she had collected on the way there and placed them under the sheets. _

_Ellie made her way over to Potter's bed and repeated the process. She then left the room, a grin spread across her face._

_Sometime that night, the girls were awakened to shouts from the Common Room._

_"What the hell?" Lucy muttered as she sat up in bed and flicked on the light. Mary merely groaned and covered her face with her pillow._

_"I'll go see what's happening," Ellie volunteered, though she knew exactly what was going on. She shared a knowing look with Lily as she got out of bed and made her way to the Common Room. _

_"Merlin!" Black shouted, "What the hell are these things?" _

_A small crowd had gathered around Black and Potter. Both boys were in their pajamas and were in the process of pulling their shirts over their heads. Black seemed to be having more trouble than his friend. He gave up on getting the shirt off and instead, sat down and began vigorously scratching his legs. Potter's shirt was thrown to the ground fiercely, and he began scratching his chest with equal enthusiasm._

_"It looks like the Scottish Tatchs Beetle," Remus said, examining one of the bugs from Potter's shirt, "It's native to the area, but I'm not exactly sure how so many got into your—"_

_"Isn't it obvious?" Black shrieked, "__**She**__ put then there!"_

_Heads turned to follow Black's pointed finger and a dozen eyes landed on Ellie. _

_"Me? Why is Merlin's name would I do something like that?" She asked incredulously. _

_"You know why," Potter gritted through his teeth._

_Smiling, Ellie began walking towards him, "Yeah?" She took a step closer to the boy and whispered in his ear, "Prove it." With a full-fledged grin, she left a baffled Potter staring after her as she returned to bed._

* * *

><p>After the beetle incident last year, James had started treating Ellie with a little more respect. Black was still weary of her, and she of him, but he followed his friend's lead and withheld from making her life a living hell—which was nice. The three had quickly bonded over a shared loathing for all things Slytherin. James's hatred didn't run quite as deep as Ellie's and Black's, who had grown up in pureblood Slytherin families, but he did seem to genuinely dislike Snivellus. For time to time, the boys would ask for Ellie's help in pranking him. Usually, she was tasked with the job of keeping Lily away from the scene of the prank. Today for instance, Ellie had let Potter know that Snivellus would be headed to the lake after their OWL for Defense and that Lily (supposedly) would not be anywhere near him.<p>

This obviously did not go according to plan.

Ellie glanced over to her friend. It was her fault just as much as his that Lily was so upset right now. Her sister's words from earlier in the year crept to the forefront of her mind.

_"You're no better than they are!" she'd shouted. _

_Psssh. Of course I'm better than they are._ Ellie reasoned with herself. _Snivellus deserves everything that happens to him. Look at what he called Lily for Merlin's sake!_

No, all Slytherins were dark wizards and needed to be knocked down a peg. _Perhaps James and I should consider Rosier…_

But Ellie knew they'd be no match for that particular Slytherin. He and the other, older students were well versed in dueling and dark arts. It was a known fact that many of the Slytherin seventh years would be finishing at Hogwarts and joining You-Know-Who as Deatheaters. Rosier, who was a sixth year, would follow right behind them the year after.

"Oi, Prongs, what's going on?" a deep voice pulled Ellie from her thoughts. Looking up from her place by the fire, she met the grey eyes of Sirius Black.

"Oh, joy, the cavalry has arrived," she muttered.

"Shut it, Stroud. I wasn't talking to you," her less than friendly acquaintance shot back.

Over the years, Black had grown tall, though not as tall as James who stood just over six feet. When they'd returned to school after summer holiday, his voice had dropped and the combination of his new, low rumble and ridiculously good looks and not gone unnoticed by the Hogwarts female population; Ellie included. At fifteen Black had had more girlfriends than most seventh year boys in the school. There was even a rumor that he'd managed to snog a sixth year Ravenclaw before Christmas. Ellie was convinced that the girl had to have been a Hufflepuff. Surely someone as intelligent as a Ravenclaw wouldn't get mixed up with a prick like Sirius Black. Not that Ellie cared, of course.

James was also uncommonly handsome. His hair still stuck out in all directions and he'd developed the annoying habit of running his fingers through it every time Lily was near. Several years on the Quidditch pitch had toned his body and even Ellie had to admit that he was attractive. _Though not as attractive as Black…_

Unfortunately, both boys knew the affect they had on girls and this inflated their egos all the more. James especially seemed to think that his good looks alone should have Lily begging to go out with him. This was, of course, a stupid assumption on his part. He'd started asking Lily to Hogsmeade early in the year, and now, it was a near daily occurrence. Ellie found the whole thing highly amusing at first, but it quickly became bothersome, and she was beginning to wish her friend would say 'yes' just to shut the boy up.

* * *

><p><em>"Please Lily? Just one date and I swear I won't ask again!" James pleaded. It was his fourth time asking Lily out…that week. <em>

_Lifting her head from where she'd slammed in down on the table five minutes ago when he'd appeared Ellie also begged, "For fuck's sake Lil's, it's just a date! Spare us all this misery and say 'yes'!" Remus hid a grin and Black nodded enthusiastically in rare agreement, as usual, his mouth too stuffed with food to speak._

_"Why don't you go with him then?" Lily shot back at Ellie, "I'd be more inclined to go to Hogsmeade with a toad!" Lily finished firmly and left the table._

_Ellie groaned and returned her head to its resting spot in between the toast and eggs._

* * *

><p>Ellie snickered at the memory. Poor James wasn't any nearer to Lily saying 'yes' today than he was at that breakfast weeks ago, especially not after the Snivellus incident earlier today.<p>

"Bad luck, Pads. Lily is supposedly very upset about the-uh-_event_ that happened today."

"You mean the Snivellus-lost-his-pants event?"

"Yep. That's the one," Ellie confirmed.

Black rolled his eyes, "Oh, come on. It's just Snape! Surely she can't be that upset about it, he's a Slytherin!"

Suddenly as if to answer Black, a very angry and crying Lily ran passed the three students and towards the girls' stairs.

Before she went up, she turned to Ellie's two companions and yelled, "I hate the both of you! None of this would have happened if you'd have just left him alone!" Lily turned her heel and ran up the stairs to the girls' dormitory, leaving a wide-eyed Ellie and Black and an open-mouthed James staring after her.

After a moment, Ellie sighed and began collecting her Transfiguration books, "Best go see what happened."

"Good luck with that, Stroud."

"You're a git, Potter."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: We've made it to Ellie's 6th Year! I'm going to be slowing down a lot now. As I've said in an earlier author's note, this story is going to go all the way to the Final Battle so I was speeding things along for a bit there. However, the Marauder's (and consequently Ellie and Lily's) last two years at Hogwarts are very important, so I'm tapping the breaks a little. Enjoy, and review please!

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the intellectual property of JKR. I own nothing :(****  
><strong>

_September 1976_

"I can't even begin to tell you how glad I am to be back", Ellie said, flopping down on the couch. It was the first day back at Hogwarts after an incredibly long and dreary summer. The students had just finished the welcoming feast and were now situating themselves in their respective Common Rooms. Lily, Mary, and Ellie had seated themselves on the couch in front of the fire, the three having already unpacked their belongings.

"The holiday was that bad for you?" Mary asked.

"Oh Merlin, Mary, don't even get her started," Lily rolled eyes and faked-whispered to the girl, "She wouldn't shut up about it the entire way here."

Laughing, Ellie threw a pillow in her friend's face.

Lily was right though, she hadn't seemed to be able to stop ranting about how terrible her time away from Hogwarts had been. It was the summer before her and Ari's sixth year. She'd hoped that whatever tension had accumulated during their fifth year would have dissipated by the time they returned home. Unfortunately, what should have been an exciting several weeks to spend with each other was, instead, some of the most miserable months of Ellie's life.

* * *

><p>On the train home, Ari—much to Ellie's surprise—chose to share a compartment with her fellow Slytherins. On a passing glace while walking the train, she saw that Rosier, Mulciber, and Narcissa were among Ari's new friends. Since Lily refused to sit with Snape, understandably, and the two girls didn't want to keep a whole compartment to themselves, they made the tough decision to sit with James, Remus, Peter, and Black.<p>

Lily had stewed in silence for the majority of the ride. Occasionally she would make small talk with Ellie or Remus, but she spent most of the time staring out of the window. James, thankfully, had the common sense to understand that now was not the time to pester her about going out with him.

Ellie knew that her friend's argument with Snape that year had affected the girl more than she'd let on. She tried to be sympathetic, really she did, but just knowing that Snape was a Slytherin was enough for her to justify everything that had happened to the boy. Honestly, she was glad Lily was finally rid of him. Lily was hurting now, but she was going to be so much better off without that greasy git in her life.

Ariella on the other hand, well, Ellie was very confident that her sister would come to her senses sooner or later. Shy, gentle, bookish Ari had no place in a group of future Deatheaters, despite her dating one. No, Ellie would speak to her twin over the summer, and the two would go back to being as close as they had always been.

Ellie couldn't know how very wrong she was.

_"__I'm going to be staying with Narcissa until school resumes," Ari had declared while the twins were heading to their room after their first dinner back at home._

_"__What? Why?" Ellie asked in shock, stopping in the middle of the stairs. _

_"__Cissy and I are friends, to start. I also think there's a lot I could learn from them. Mother and Father agree. They wanted me to try and convince you to come as well, but well, I really don't want you there," Ari replied, her voice monotonous and sounding bored by the conversation._

_Ellie took a step back from her sister, horrified at the stranger standing before her._

_"__What's happened to you, Ariella?"_

_Ari, whose back was turned away from Elli, stopped her ascent up the staircase. Standing with her back straight, blonde hair just touching her shoulders, Ellie was struck by the thought that her twin was beginning to look and act very much like their mother._

_Finally, Ari turned around to meet her sister's stare. Ellie's hazel eyes met her sister's mirror pair._

_"__Times are changing Ellie. There's a war coming, and I've chosen my side. It's time you do the same."_

The next morning Ari was gone.

* * *

><p>The rest of Ellis's summer passed uneventfully and horribly, horribly slowly. Her father was at work constantly. Some nights he wouldn't event come home. In the mornings after such an evening, her mother would sit quietly and regally at the breakfast table, sipping her tea and appearing oblivious to the fact that Mr. Stroud had just stumbled through the door looking like death himself. Ellie had tried to ask her mother what was going on, but a fairly pointed glare had silenced her before she'd even got the full sentence out.<p>

The only entertainment Ellie had was writing to her friends. She kept up with Lily on a near daily basis. Both girls were having trouble coping with the essential loss of someone close to them, and they were beginning to depend on one another for support and advice. Surprisingly, Remus also owled Ellie every week or so. As much as she loved Lily, it was nice to have someone else to communicate with. Remus was more forward in his letters than he was in person, and Ellie often times found herself laughing aloud at some joke or interesting fact he'd included in his correspondence with her. Much to her astonishment, James Potter even sent her an owl a time or two. Their letters were short, each just asking how the other was doing (and James often asking after Lily), but his friendship made Ellie happy nonetheless.

Needless to say, on the rare occasion that her parents intercepted her letters, Ellie was denied supper when her mother was home and sent to her room with a rather red cheek when her father was present.

So, yes, Ellie was very glad to be back at Hogwarts.

"Hey Lily, did the attack in Littlehampton make it into the Muggle papers?" Mary asked after situating herself on the floor with her back up against the couch.

"The murder, right? It did. The authorities said it was some sort of gas leak. That was a cover up obviously; no fire does damage like that."

Ellie nodded in agreement. The Daily Prophet has also reported on the incident, however, their story was much more accurate than the Muggles' news.

The Muller's, a family of four, had all been found in the living room, dead, with their faces frozen in expressions of extreme agony. The crutiatous curse more than likely. The house had then been set ablaze. Muggle firefighters had managed to put the fire out before any real damage was done, and were probably very surprised to discover that their arson was also a homicide case.

"Do you think the Minister for Magic had anything to do with the cover up?" Lily asked, a frown deepening on her face.

"Oh I'm sure of it," Ellie said, "Think about it, Lils. These attacks have been getting progressively worse the last few years. It all started with, what, the random muggle disappearances? Then muggleborns missing and now murders? The Minister is trying to keep moral high and avoid a panic."

The girls entered into a rare subdued moment. After a time Lily lifted her head from where it rested on Ellie's shoulder and broke the silence.

"I'm muggleborn," she turned to Ellie, "You don't think…you don't think I'm in any danger, do you?" she asked shakily, her green eyes wide and filled with fear.

Ellie found it difficult to meet her friend's eyes. Mary, who had turned around when Lily spoke, returned her attention to the fire.

"I think you need to start being careful, Lily," Ellie finally said, "Things are only going to get worse."

* * *

><p>"Leave me alone you arrogant prick!" Ellie winced at Lily's screeching and poor Peter looked as if he was fighting the urge to cover his ears.<p>

"Lily-flower, please, just one date. We'll go get butterbeer, take a nice walk, visit the Shrieking Shack; I hear it's haunted you know—Ow! Damnit Remus that hurt—Lily! Hey!" James let out a pained grunt when the enchantment placed on the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory threw him backwards and to the ground.

Lily continued up the stairs, leaving James groaning on the floor behind her.

Ellie really couldn't blame the girl for her harsh treatment of the boy. They'd been back at Hogwarts for just over a month now and in that time James had asked Lily out roughly…well, every day.

Somehow, the boy had grown taller over the summer. He now stood at at least 6'2" and towered over the 5'4" Ellie. Someone, thank Merlin, had convinced him to cut his hair as it appeared slightly less disheveled. Unfortunately, keeping his hair somewhat tidy wasn't incentive enough to stop him from running his hand through it every time he saw Lily.

Lily had also changed over the summer. Her hair was longer and a slightly darker shade of red. Several of the freckles around her nose seemed to have disappeared as well. Ellie looked from her best friend to James, _They really would make an adorable couple_, she thought.

"That was a bit—er—aggressive don't you think mate?" Black asked. He was sitting in one of the several desks spread throughout the Common Room. Supposedly studying, though Ellie doubted he'd even opened a book, Black had turned the desk chair around and was leaning back on just two of its legs. _I hope he winds up on the floor as well, _Ellie thought.

Like his friend, Sirius Black had also managed to become more attractive over the summer break. Unlike James, who kept himself clean shaven, Black let a small amount of stubble remain on his face. His hair was as wavy as ever and just touched his shoulders. To her horror, Ellie found herself constantly fighting the desire to reach out during class and run her fingers through it. Suffice it to say, Sirius Black was extremely attractive.

Ellie, who was seated at a table next to Remus and Peter, grabbed a piece of her hair and examined it. It had dulled in color as she'd grown older, now taking on a honey color. She was lucky enough to have been blessed with volume, but waves and frizz required Ellie to keep her hair in a high ponytail.

Over the summer her chest had filled out rather nicely. Lily had certainly seemed to think so at least. She herself didn't seem to be more than a B cup and wouldn't stop complaining to Ellie about the 'injustice' of it all.

* * *

><p>"I'm getting desperate, Padfoot," James said after he'd stood up and brushed himself off, "I've only got two more years to get her to agree. Ellie, love, you'll put in a good word for me, right?" James lowered himself to his knees in front of her chain and took his hands in hers, "Please? Do you want me to beg?"<p>

Laughing, Ellie pushed his hands off of hers, "Get off me, you big ugly sissy. I'm trying to finish my potions essay for Slughorn."

James stood and settled himself in another nearby chair. "Oh I see how it is. You're marks are more important than my love life," he dropped his head in exaggerated sorrow.

Remus saw this as an opportunity to throw another book at him.

"Ow! Merlin, Moony!"

"I don't know why I even try to study with the four of you," Ellie bemoaned.

"Sorry, Ellie," Remus apologized, though the smirk on his face told her he as being entirely sarcastic.

"We could go to the library," Peter said, blushing, "It doesn't close for another two hours."

Shaking her head, Ellie smiled at the timid boy and replied, "That's alright, I'm nearly done anyway. Thanks though, Peter." He quickly returned his attention to his schoolwork.

Black, who'd been staring at Lucy Johnson, stood.

"Well, as amusing as this has been," he said, "I'm going to go see how Lucy's doing with her Herbology homework," Giving the others a wink, he made his way over to the girl in question.

"I could swear he's getting worse," Remus said to Ellie.

"Honestly Remus, between him and James I'm not sure how you've survived so long."

James looked up from the Potions book he'd just opened, "He throws books at us, Ellie. That's how."


End file.
